Former TV Asahi Announcer Yasuma Matsui Fulfills His Middle-Aged Dream of Living Surrounded by Model Kits After Retirement
Interview with a super-enthusiast: He has collected more than 3,000 fan-favorite "treasures" and has been appointed as an advisor to Tamiya.
Visiting toy stores on local reporting assignments.
Matsui didn’t just collect old plastic models. He cycled around local toy stores, checked the “for sale” sections of modeling magazines, and sent postcards to secure rarer and highly coveted “treasures” from fans.
“For example, Tamiya’s first edition kits come in boxes that fit into a space when the top and bottom are aligned. Later editions are of the type with an opening similar to a caramel box. The rarity is different. The sense of treasure isn’t limited to the boxes. For instance, the Swedish fighter jet ‘Draken’ usually has silver plastic parts, but there’s a rare green version that’s almost never seen in the first edition. I managed to acquire both versions.”
After joining TV Asahi, Matsui worked on flagship programs like “Music Station” and “News Station” before becoming a sports commentator for professional baseball. Each time he traveled to cover training camps or games, he would find time to visit toy stores that sold plastic models.
“During spring training, there’s usually a day off in the two-week reporting period. On those days, I would rent a car and, without modern navigation, rely on phone books and maps to visit stores. When I found a ‘treasure,’ I wouldn’t immediately ask to buy it. Instead, I would express my enthusiasm for plastic models by saying, ‘This is a model that went out of print in the 1960s and is now hard to find.’ Once, I discovered a completed model of the American M40 tank, nicknamed ‘BIG-SHOT,’ from 1972 in a showcase at a model shop in Miyazaki. Although I only admired it at that time, when I returned the following year for another camp, the shop owner remembered me and said, ‘You came last year, didn’t you?’ He then told me that he was closing the shop soon and agreed to sell me the ‘BIG-SHOT.’ I think my passion conveyed my seriousness to him.”
Recently, he has been winning “treasures” on online auction sites more frequently, though he admits there’s a hint of loneliness associated with it.
